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My favorite and most-used organization tool around my home is a clear plastic shoe box. They are available at big box stores and dollar stores. The ones I purchase are branded by the Container Store. You can find them here.

Here’s why I like this particular line-up:

BPA free (important for food storage)

Relatively inexpensive (especially by the case and during sales)

Consistent sizing

Readily available in-store and on-line

Seem to fit spaces exactly!

Easily stackable

Especially handy to prevent liquids from spilling where they shouldn’t

Easy to clean by hand or in the dishwasher

And most importantly, I can see what’s inside!

The 3 sizes I probably use the most are: men’s shoe box, small accessory box, and the regular sweater box. I keep a small stash of these on-hand for quick access when I get a sudden urge to re-organize a closet or pantry (insert Hubby’s deep sigh and shoulder shrug here).

My son and I created this personalized calendar for the summer. It was a super fun project to work on together, and he’s thrilled with the end result. The best part is that he’s actually excited about rushing over to the refrigerator to see what part of his day it is.

I started by jotting down what we do on a daily/weekly basis. For the most part, it’s the same things every day: eat breakfast, brush teeth, get dressed, feed and walk the dog. Our morning and bedtime routines are similar. It’s what we do during the middle of the day that varies.

Once I had captured our daily routine, my son and I searched for free clip art together. That part was really fun. He had a great time deciding which images looked most like our family.

The tedious part was figuring out what size to print the pictures, how to arrange them on paper, and then come up with a finished product that we could color together.

This satisfying red lentil and vegetable soup is quick and easy to make, is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and is so fresh and healthy. A neighbor shared this recipe with me a few years ago, and it has become a staple meal Around My Home this time of year.

I recently transformed this antique buffet that I snagged at the local Goodwill for $10!

Here’s what it looked like when I brought it home:

I’m pretty sure that this lovely piece had been stored outdoors, maybe in a backyard shed. It was porous from having been exposed to high doses of humidity, and the glue on some of the ornate scrollwork had disintegrated. Sadly, I had to remove the scrollwork that remained with my putty knife, and sand the entire piece thoroughly with 80 grit sandpaper.

Note: when working on a piece this old, I wear protective safety glasses, a dust mask, an apron, and gloves, and I work outside or in my garage with the doors open.

My son and I found this weathered and worn easel on the curb of a neighbor’s house. They had put it out for the trash pick-up. My sweet little guy has compassion for discarded furniture (wonder where he gets that from), and asked if we could rescue the piece. He envisioned transforming it into a chalkboard to practice writing his letters.

As you can see in the before pics, the easel had been sitting outside for a long, long time. The wood had mildew in some places and the whole thing was d-i-r-t-y.

I used Windex to clean it, filled in some of the cracks with caulk, and sanded away. My l’il guy helped every step of the way.

Windex works great on removing dirt and grime from wood, and the drying time is super short.

I then taped off the whiteboard surface. I knew I’d be transforming it into a chalkboard, and wanted to keep it free from any primer grit.